Running Wild Studio

Warning: Opening your wedding gallery may cause uncontrollable screaming, crying, and immediate reposting to every friend you ever had. 😅

Some of the best things about creating art together with our couples is seeing their facial expressions and hearing them gasp for air when showing the final results.

The wedding industry isn’t “out of touch”…

Most couples just don’t realize what 20k actually gets you with 100+ guests in 2026 👀

And before the comments start rolling in, this post is NOT about saying small weddings are better or that everyone needs to spend more money.

It’s about expectations.

Because honestly?

We’ve seen couples create absolutely incredible wedding experiences with 15k–25k budgets.

But the difference is usually HOW they spent it.
Smaller guest counts.

More intentional priorities.

Less pressure to perform.

More room for meaningful moments and experiences.

A 20k budget can absolutely create:

→ an unforgettable oceanfront dinner
→ incredible photos
→ intentional details
→ an experience you’ll never stop talking about

…but probably not for 150 guests with every luxury wedding expectation Pinterest keeps feeding you.

And there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with backyard weddings, DIY weddings, potluck weddings, or budget weddings either.

Some of the most joyful weddings we’ve ever seen were simple as hell.

At the end of the day:

your wedding does not need to LOOK expensive to be meaningful.

But your guest count will almost always determine what kind of experience your budget can realistically create.

The North Cascades has always been one of our favorite places for elopements and small weddings. There are very few places that offer this kind of variety within a single region. Alpine lakes, rugged peaks, old growth forests, winding mountain roads, and quiet overlooks all exist within a few hours of each other, which allows couples to create a wedding day that feels fully their own.

After years of photographing weddings throughout the North Cascades, we finally put together a list of our all time favorite locations for intimate weddings and elopements. Some are perfect for couples wanting an easy and scenic experience, while others are ideal for those wanting a more adventurous day in the mountains.

These are the places we consistently return to because of how beautiful, unique, and meaningful they feel for the couples we photograph there.

Which location would you choose for your wedding day?